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Youth awards 2014

The Belfast Policing and Community Safety Partnership (PCSP) hosted its annual Youth Awards ceremony on Friday 7 November to recognise the positive contribution that young people make in their community.

Winners

North DPCSP
Welcome to my world

This project involved a cross community group of young people tackling the issue of intolerance and hate crime towards ethnic minorities, including young people from Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Eritrea and Somalia. The outputs of the project included an equality themed mural and video journals of their personal stories, dispelling myths and challenging attitudes.

South DPCSP
Paul Russell

Paul intervened when he observed a distressed man outside City Hall dousing himself in flammable liquid and attempting to set himself alight. His act of courage and bravery saved this man’s life and reduced the risk of injury to passers-by.

East DPCSP
Lagan Village Youth Group

This group have been involved in a range of projects benefiting the local community including work with senior citizens, ethnic minority people, young obese girls as well as environmental improvement projects.

West DPCSP
Intercultural Diaries

This project involved young people from the Hammer and Clonard Youth Clubs entering into a project with asylum seekers from Zimbabwe. The project challenged their own prejudices and built cross community and cross cultural relationships.

BELB Youth Work Group
Wandsworth Youth Independent Advisory Group

This group of young people works alongside the police to discuss ways of resolving local issues together. They also take part in intergenerational work with senior victims of crime and local clean ups.

BELB Youth Work - Individual
James Deeds

James excelled at a Sport Changes Life programme, E-Hoops, which aims to positively change the future of young people and lead them away from negative influences. James became a role model for his peers and now acts as a sports mentor.

This 16 week project focused on tackling anti social behaviour with involvement from the PSNI. The project included frank discussion about values, beliefs and acceptable behaviour within the community and has led to further work on policing and justice, sexual crime and knife crime.

Youth Justice Agency
R-City Project Hammer/Ardoyne YClub

Young people from Hammer and Ardoyne Youth Clubs have come together to look at issues such as homelessness, mental health, drugs and alcohol and physical health alongside the relevant agencies. The group have encouraged positive change in the mindset of local people showing that the same issues effect both communities. Many of the young people have progressed to becoming young leaders where they continue to tackle social issues and improve community relations.

Belfast Youth Forum
Abiobun (Abi) Ajetunmobi

Arriving in Northern Ireland in 2009, Abi works as an advocate for the rights of marginalized young people at a local and regional level with VOYPIC (Voice of Young People in Care). She has been involved in research regarding care leavers through Barnardos Leaving Care Project and the University of Bedfordshire. Abi also uses her skills as a talented baker to raise money for various charities.

Thomas Devlin Trust
Team Volume Control

Volume Control is a music events mentoring project which provides a platform for emerging local music artists in a safe, alcohol free environment for under 18s. The team’s annual ‘Clash of the New Breeds’ event will be donating this year’s proceeds to Love Music, Hate Racism.

Best of Belfast Award

The Lord Mayor chose James Deeds as the winner of her ‘Best of Belfast’ award. James was chosen from the winners of each category due to the outstanding contribution that he has made to the young people he is mentoring and his local community.